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Aquaporins

Aquaporins

Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Water and Mineral Acquisition

Specialized tissues in plant roots have evolved to capture water, minerals, and some ions from the soil. Roots exhibit a variety of branching patterns that facilitate this process. The outermost root cells have specialized structures called root hairs that increase the root surface, thus increasing soil contact. Water can passively cross into roots, as the concentration of water in the soil is higher than that of the root tissue. Minerals, in contrast, are actively transported into root cells.

The Apoplast and Symplast

The Apoplast and Symplast

Plant growth depends on its ability to take up water and dissolved minerals from the soil. The root system of every plant is equipped with the necessary tissues to facilitate the entry of water and solutes. The plant tissues involved in the transport of water and minerals have two major compartments - the apoplast and the symplast. The apoplast includes everything outside the plasma membrane of living cells and consists of cell walls, extracellular spaces, xylem, phloem, and tracheids. The...

Short-distance Transport of Resources

Short-distance Transport of Resources

Short-distance transport refers to transport that occurs over a distance of just 2-3 cells, crossing the plasma membrane in the process. Small uncharged molecules, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water, can diffuse across the plasma membrane on their own. In contrast, ions and larger molecules require the assistance of transport proteins due to their charge or size. Transport across membranes also occurs within individual cells, playing a variety of essential roles for the plant as a whole.

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

Xylem and Transpiration-driven Transport of Resources

The xylem of vascular plants distributes water and dissolved minerals that are taken up by the roots to the rest of the plant. The cells that transport xylem sap are dead upon maturity, and the movement of xylem sap is a passive process.

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Responses to Drought and Flooding

Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example

Measuring the Osmotic Water Permeability Coefficient Pf of Spherical Cells: Isolated Plant Protoplasts as an Example

Published on: October 8, 2014

Aquaporins in Plants.

Christophe Maurel¹, Yann Boursiac¹, Doan-Trung Luu¹

¹Biochimie et Physiologie Moléculaire des Plantes, Unité Mixte de Recherche 5004, CNRS/INRA/Montpellier SupAgro/Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.

Physiological Reviews

|September 4, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Plant aquaporins are vital membrane channels regulating water and nutrient transport. Research highlights their diverse roles in plant hydraulics, stress tolerance, and development, crucial for integrative plant biology.

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Last Updated: Apr 4, 2026

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The Infiltration-centrifugation Technique for Extraction of Apoplastic Fluid from Plant Leaves Using Phaseolus vulgaris as an Example

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Area of Science:

Plant Biology
Membrane Transport
Molecular Mechanisms

Background:

Aquaporins are essential membrane proteins facilitating water and small molecule transport in organisms.
Plant aquaporins exhibit diverse isoforms, localizations, and transport selectivities, crucial for physiological processes.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the diverse functions and regulatory mechanisms of plant aquaporins.
To understand the role of aquaporins in plant hydraulics, development, and stress response.

Main Methods:

Structure-function studies to elucidate gating and trafficking mechanisms.
Investigating the role of phosphorylation in aquaporin regulation.
Utilizing genetic and physiological approaches to study aquaporin function in vivo.

Main Results:

Plant aquaporins transport water, CO2, ammonia, boron, and silicon.
Phosphorylation regulates aquaporin gating and trafficking in response to signaling molecules.
Aquaporins are critical for root and leaf hydraulics, plant tissue expansion, and seed germination.

Conclusions:

Aquaporins play indispensable roles in plant hydraulic regulation, development, and adaptation to environmental stresses.
Ongoing research on aquaporins significantly advances our understanding of plant integrative biology.